Stateside

Monday through Friday @ 3:00 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Conversations about what matters in Michigan.

Stateside covers a wide range of Michigan news and policy issues — as well as culture and lifestyle stories. In keeping with Michigan Radio’s broad coverage across southern Michigan, Stateside focuses on topics and events that matter to people all across the state. Stateside is hosted by Cynthia Canty (Mon-Thu) and Lester Graham (Fri).

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Abdul El-Sayed’s did not have a good week. And it’s not looking like it’s going to get better any time soon.

El-Sayed has captured the imagination of progressives who think he can bring a liberal agenda to Lansing and become the nation’s first Muslim-American governor. This past weekend, at a Democratic forum for Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates in Washtenaw County, there was a throng of excited folks all waiting to talk to him.

Stateside’s conversation with Ken Sikkema, Senior Policy Fellow at Public Sector Consultants and former Republican Majority Leader in the Senate, and Vicki Barnett, a former Mayor of Farmington Hills and a former Democratic legislator.

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees has appointed former Governor John Engler as interim president of the university. That’s after Lou Anna Simon resigned in the wake of the scandal over MSU sports doctor Larry Nassar sexually assaulting girls and women for decades.

Bridge Magazine published an article reporting that Engler was dismissive of sexual assault claims by women in Michigan prisons while he was governor.

That includes parents who are alums and have children who are currently attending MSU.

Ann Gallagher, an ’87 graduate and Co-President of the Calhoun County Spartans’ Alumni Club, and Jim Cain, an ’89 graduate from the Journalism School, joined Stateside to discuss their concerns about how MSU has handled the scandal. Both have children currently attending MSU.

Stateside's conversation with Joe DiSano, a political strategist with Main Street Strategies and DiSano Strategies.

The Abdul El-Sayed campaign for governor is alleging that there are racist motivations behind questioning whether he is eligible for office because he lived outside the state and was registered to vote in another state.

Groundhog Day can go one of two ways. If that rodent sees his/her shadow, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. If not, spring will arrive early. We’ve got recipes using nearly the same ingredients to be prepared either way.

“So depending on what happened with that darned groundhog, then we’ll know whether we need to drink another hot toddy to keep us warm for six more weeks of winter or whether we can start looking ahead to summer,” quipped Tammy Coxen of Tammy’s Tastings.

Stateside's conversation with Chris Solari, a sports writer for the Detroit Free Press.

The NCAA has opened an investigation into Michigan State University's role in the Larry Nassar scandal.

This comes as the number of accusers is up to 265.

At the same time, ESPN reports allegations of a pattern of mishandled sexual assault cases involving Spartan football and basketball players – allegations that football coach Mark Dantonio and basketball coach Tom Izzo are still struggling to clearly address.

Stateside's conversation with Dawn Kettinger, Michigan Nurses Association director of government affairs, and RN Katie Scott, a nurse of ten years.

Does Michigan have a shortage of nurses?

That question is at the heart of a push by nurse advocates and some lawmakers for a state law that would set up mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios and prohibit hospitals from ordering nurses to work overtime.

President Trump's first State of the Union speech touched on Detroit’s auto industry. The president said that he “halted government mandates,” and his actions would “get the Motor City revving its engines once again.”

Daniel Howes, business columnist for The Detroit News, joined Stateside to talk about the truth of these claims and the landscape of the U.S. auto industry.

Stateside's conversation with Zach Booker, a Hudsonville entrepreneur attending President Trump's first State of the Union speech.

Hudsonville entrepreneur Zach Booker will be at the U.S. Capitol tonight when President Trump delivers his first State of the Union speech. Booker is a fourth-generation barber and the guest of Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga. He joined Stateside from Washington D.C.

Stateside's conversation with Jamey Lister, an assistant professor of social work at Wayne State University.

When President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, he offered some ideas for tackling this national emergency. He didn't offer specific plans or funding for implementation, however.

One of those ideas was telemedicine, which might be especially helpful where America's opioid crisis is at its worst: rural areas.

Jamey Lister, an assistant professor of social work at Wayne State University, joined Stateside to discuss the future of telemedicine and its potential to serve rural populations.

Listen to Saladin Ahmed talk about his new comic book series, "Abbott," here.

Metro Detroit native Saladin Ahmed has been writing for years. From poetry to short stories to novels, he has experimented in many genres. Ahmed’s most recent medium is graphic novels. He produced a comic book series called “Abbott.” It follows Elena Abbott, a hard-working African-American journalist in 1972 Detroit.

Stateside producer Mike Blank recently spoke with Saladin Ahmed at a book signing at the Vault of Midnight in Detroit.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's investigation into MSU's handling of abuse allegations against Larry Nassar is focusing in these early days on three former staff members.

The special prosecutor's investigation has ordered the school to produce all emails and records for three close Nassar associates: his boss, former dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine William Strampel; former women's gymnastics coach Kathie Klages; and Dr. Brooke Lemmen, a co-worker who thought of Nassar as her mentor.

In an investigative report this weekend, ESPN brought attention to a number of previously unreported allegations of sexual misconduct within the Michigan State University football and basketball programs. The report also detailed how the university handled accusations of sexual assault against football and basketball players differently than it did for the rest of the student population.

The city of Grand Rapids is widely considered a great place to do business, unless you’re black. A 2015 study in Forbes magazine found that it was the second-worst city in the nation in terms of being economically friendly to African-Americans. An organization that works to promote entrepreneurship in Grand Rapids has started a pitch contest that’s meant to encourage startup ideas from everyone — especially people of color.

It is the most challenging time in the history of Michigan State University.

As MSU becomes the focus of a cascade of allegations regarding sexual abuse on campus, including accusations against members of the football and basketball teams, the school is also on a high-speed search for an interim president following the resignation of Lou Anna K. Simon.